12-Week Peak Plan "My First Gran Fondo > 100km" is a 12-week cycling plan. This article combines the actual plan description with a example week from the stored workout entries.
What this plan is built for
This 12-week plan is designed to prepare you for your first Gran Fondo >100km. The goal is to cross the finish line feeling happy and healthy. The plan consists of easy, aerobic "LIT" sessions that improve your base endurance, as well as HIT and MIT sessions that aim to increase your "engine" and make you faster.
The weekday sessions are intended for the trainer, while the longer sessions on the weekend can be done outside on gravel or a road bike. Depending on the weather, indoor sessions can also be moved outside, or outdoor sessions can be moved indoors. Make sure to adjust the sessions accordingly. You don't need to replicate long outdoor sessions 1:1 on the trainer. Shorten them a bit for the trainer. For a 3-hour ride outside, 90 minutes on the trainer is sufficient. Conversely, extend the trainer program for the road. If intervals are included, simply extend the warm-up and cool-down.
Training logic and load
In the peak phase precision matters: key sessions count, but freshness and clean execution decide the outcome. The important part is not upgrading easy days into hidden hard days. The workout data shows which sessions are structured and which ones are intentionally simple.
The plan contains 37 scheduled entries across 12 weeks. The sequence matters as much as the total hours: hard, technical, or long workouts only work when the surrounding days allow you to absorb them.
Example week: Week 5
This week is not a generic template. It is built from the actual training plan entries, and the workout charts use the stored workout data.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
Ramp from 50% to 80% | 8x 1 min on / 5 min easy | Ramp from 70% to 50%
This workout comes directly from the training plan.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
45 min @ 60% | 4x 8 min on / 3 min easy | 31 min @ 70%
MIT - Sweet Spot Training: 4x8 min @85% FTP (5 min rest) Rate of Perceived Exertion: 6-7 out of 10 Effect: Improvement of metabolic efficiency, enhancement of lactate transport, and potential increase in fractional utilization.
No scheduled workout in this real plan week. Use the day to absorb the load and arrive fresh for the next session.
70 min @ 60% | 4x 15 min on / 5 min easy | 45 min @ 55%
LIT Training. Time: 3h (60 min @Fatmax included) Perceived exertion: 4-5 out of 10 Effect: Mitochondrial biogenesis, muscle fiber shift, improvement in fat metabolism LIT is not the same as Fatmax.
How to read the workout charts
The chart is based on the workout data: longer segments take more width, higher intensities sit higher, and harder work is marked with stronger colors. For swim or distance-based segments, the graphic represents the planned sequence rather than GPS data.
Practical execution
What to watch
- Execute the key days precisely instead of making the easy sessions faster.
- Use the plan description as context: equipment, fueling, mobility, and realistic threshold values are part of the training.
- When life or fatigue adds pressure, trim secondary work first and keep the most important session stable.
Training effect
Executed well, the plan improves your ability to absorb the intended stimulus repeatedly. Depending on sport and phase, that means more aerobic stability, better pace durability, stronger technique under fatigue, or more confidence at target effort.